The story follows stapinski s 2001 book five finger discount. Praise for fivefinger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinskis book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of. The headline in the local newspaper the next day read man seized on way to kill 5 children. The documentary is based on the bestselling memoir by helene stapinski, fivefinger discount. Portrait of helene stapinski, former columnist at the jersey journal and author of the book five finger discount. Now a pbs documentary, this astonishing memoir of growing up in roughandtumble jersey city will steal your heart people with. With deadpan humor and obvious affection, five finger discount recounts the story of an unforgettable new jersey family of swindlers, bookies, embezzlers, and mobsterwannabes. A crooked family history by helene stapinski original publication date. In this unforgettable memoir, stapinski tells the heartbreaking yet often hilarious story of growing up among swindlers, bookies, and crooks. On a summer night when she was five years old, helene stapinski watched out her kitchen window as her grandpa beansie was carted off to jail for the last time. Her most recent book, murder in matera, was released in may and traces a murder in her family in southern italy from the 1800s. Five finger discount by helene stapinski paperback book for.
Helene stapinski ingeniously weaves the checkered history of her hometown of jersey city a place known for its political corruption and industrial blight with the. A crooked family history by helene stapinski 255 pages published by random house in 2002 this book counts for the following reading challenges. Jersey city familys unvarnished history headed to film di. Fivefinger discount book vancouver island regional. A crooked family history which aired last spring on public television. Even on its surface, the book has much to offer it is rich in interesting jersey city lore, filled with eyepopping accounts of political corruption that ensnares even ordinary citizens. Mar 12, 2002 praise for fivefinger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinskis book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain and disillusion. A love affair, with music, which chronicles her years playing drums in a rock band in manhattan.
May 31, 2002 fivefinger discount by helene stapinski bloomsbury. Helene stapinski began her career at her hometown newspaper, the jersey journal, and since then has written for the new york times, new york magazine, and people, among other publications. Behind the myriad tales of criminals, petty and not so petty, in helene stapinskis book, fivefinger discount, is a precocious girl who grows up with a keen awareness of family and of. A crooked family history, which recounts her familys criminal history, and baby plays around. May 01, 2001 what stapinski is suggesting is that shell swap johnsons book for her own memoir, five finger discount, a hilarious tale of growing up in a family of crooks in the east coasts most notorious. Italianamerican author stapinski fivefinger discount. A crooked family history mines her immigrant familys roots to write a part memoir, part murder mystery that is entertaining in its plot. A trip to southern italy to shed light on a family scandal.
A journalist and the author of the engaging 2002 memoir fivefinger discount. Five finger discount download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Jun 23, 2017 in an earlier memoir, fivefinger discount, stapinski recreated the terrifying world of swindlers, embezzlers, burglars and mobster wannabes who made up her extended jersey city family. This is long before jersey citys recent revitalization efforts. People by turns hilarious and alarming, uproarious and depressing, stapinski s book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon. Recommended on daily news ny daily news new york daily. Mar 06, 2017 in the documentary fivefinger discount.
Michiko kakutani, the new york times it s a brilliant book, a darling book. Stapinski previously wrote the works in progress column for the new york times and currently is a. A crooked family history stapinski, helene on amazon. A crooked family history, about growing up in a family of grifters and other notsopetty criminals, stapinski. Fivefinger discount with deadpan humor and obvious affection, helene stapinski recounts the story of her growing up in a family as thoroughly corrupt as the hudson county political machine that whirs. Check out the website for the five finger discount documentary. As stapinski writes, jersey city was a tough place to grow up, except i didnt know any better. Aug 26, 20 lincoln high school, jersey city,nj 19122012, 100 years of lincoln pride duration. A love affair, with music, which chronicles her years. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. This is a cleverlywritten account of the authors extended and extensive family of origin. What stapinski is suggesting is that shell swap johnsons book for her own memoir, fivefinger discount, a hilarious tale of growing up in a family of crooks in the east coasts most notorious.
Praise for fivefinger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinskis book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain. May 21, 2017 how one author got to the bottom of dark family musings about her greatgrandmother on a trip to southern italy. Apr 21, 2011 author of the national best seller, five finger discount. May 23, 2017 stapinski englishfordham univ baby plays around. Now a pbs documentary, this astonishing memoir of growing up in roughandtumble jersey city will steal your heart people. Helene stapinski grew up in jersey city, nj, captured in her best selling memoir, five finger discount. Revealing ancedotes reverberate throughout the story. A crooked family history, helene stapinski discusses her memoir and her decision to. A love affair with music traces her time playing drums in a rock band on the lower east side. Behind the myriad tales of criminals, petty and not so petty, in helene stapinski s book, five finger discount, is a precocious girl who grows up with a keen awareness of family and of place.
Praise for five finger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinski s book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain and disillusion. Michiko kakutani, the new york times its a brilliant book, a darling book. People by turns hilarious and alarming, uproarious and depressing, stapinski s book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain and disillusion. With deadpan humor and obvious affection, fivefinger discoun. A crooked family history by helene stapinski, the author details her life growing up in tough jersey city, new jersey. New jersey my thoughts about this book traveling the us through books, i went to new jersey with five finger discount. Stapinskis book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and. In the memoir mary karr calls a pageturner, helene stapinski ingeniously weaves the checkered history of her hometown of jersey citya place known for its political corruption and industrial blightwith the tales that have swirled around her relatives for decades. Stapinskis debut invokes sensitive questions about class, domesticity, and the tolerance of corruption essential to machine politics. Fivefinger discount by helene stapinski penguin random.
Helene stapinski is the author of fivefinger discount. When she was five, her grandfather tried to kill her whole family. Helene stapinski grew up in jersey city, nj, captured in her best selling memoir, fivefinger discount. Jersey city familys unvarnished history headed to film. A crooked family history, helene stapinski who wrote the book of the same name that the film is based on recalls a conversation she had with. Five finger discount by helene stapinski paperback book. With deadpan humor and obvious affection, fivefinger discount recounts the story of an unforgettable new jersey family of swindlers, bookies, embezzlers, and mobsterwannabes. Jun 15, 2017 a journalist and the author of the engaging 2002 memoir fivefinger discount. Praise for fivefinger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinskis book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain and disillusion. By turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinskis book reads on the. Helene stapinski discusses fivefinger discount documentary.
Now a documentary, read the national bestselling book. People by turns hilarious and alarming, uproarious and depressing, stapinski s book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore. Author of the national best seller, five finger discount. Click on highlighted areas of the map to hear excerpts from helenes audio book of murder in matera. Behind the myriad tales of criminals, petty and not so petty, in helene stapinskis book, fivefinger discount, is a precocious girl who grows up with a keen awareness of family and of place.
Helene stapinski is the author of three memoirs, including the national best seller, fivefinger discount. A crooked family history by helene stapinski random house 2001 biography. The narrative begins as an enticing pageturner, an investigative jewel sending readers racing to the next clue, as the author strikes out to find the truth about her greatgreatgrandmother vita, a murderess. She artfully reconstructs her hardscrabble 1970s childhood above a tavern, and her closeknit, rambunctious family, entangled by the graftridden hudson county government her mother worked for the dmv, and an. Helene stapinski audio books, best sellers, author bio. How one author got to the bottom of dark family musings about her greatgrandmother on a trip to southern italy. A crooked family history, which was made into a documentary. Recommended on daily news ny daily news new york daily news. A crooked family history, helene stapinski discusses her memoir and her decision to develop the truelife story into a film with the help. With deadpan humor and obvious affection, fivefinger discount. Fivefinger discount by helene stapinski overdrive rakuten. Beansie so nicknamed because he had stolen a crate of beans as a child had spent the better part of that day in the majestic tavern, a dive bar on the ground floor of the stapinskisi. A crooked family history, which is about her life growing up in jersey city. The official page for the upcoming documentary film, fivefinger discount, based on the national bestselling book by helene stapinski.
In an earlier memoir, fivefinger discount, stapinski recreated the terrifying world of swindlers, embezzlers, burglars and mobster wannabes who made up her extended jersey city family. This is a cleverlywritten account of the authors extended and extensive family of. People by turns hilarious and alarming, uproarious and depressing, stapinskis book reads on the surface like. Five finger discount paperback may 20, 2002 by helene stapinski author visit amazons helene stapinski page. With deadpan humor and obvious affection, fivefinger discount recounts the.
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